Cabinet assembly for use with display rack



Nov. 7, 1967 M. COHEN CABINET ASSEMBLY FOR USE WITH DISPLAY RACK Filed March 8, 1965 INVENTQR. MAURICE COHEN 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 m A g.

ATTORNEYS Nov. 7, 1967 M. COHEN 3,351,401

CABINET ASSEMBLY FOR USE WITH DISPLAY RACK Filed March a, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. MAURICE COHEN w 7% u JmzM ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,351,401 CABENET ASfiiEMELY EUR USE WITH DISPLAY RACK Maurice Cohen, 3580 NW. 52nd St, Miami, lFla.

Filed Mar. 8, 1965, Ser. No. 437,764 Claims. (Cl. 312-201) ABTRAT UP THE DIS-CLUSURE elements.

The present invention relates to a display rack. More particularly the present invention relates to a cabinet assembly that is used in conjunction with a display rack.

The cabinet assembly as embodied herein has particular application for use with a rack that is utilized for the display of clothing and the like. The display rack and the cabinet assembly for use therewith as contemplated by the present invention is designed especially for use as a so-called aisle unit. Prior to the instant invention, the heretofore known aisle units have been usually fabricated and assembled prior to the installation thereof in the retail establishment. Thus, the formerly known aisle units have been constructed in integral assemblies that had to be shipped in the assembled position thereof. The present invention defines a unique departure over the previously known aisle display racks and includes a cabinet assembly that is defined by component parts that may be shipped individually and assembled in place at the establishment where the rack is set up.

a The concept of the present invention includes the mounting of opposed cabinets on a clothing rack in opoverlying plates that define a pocket therewith for receiving the support bar. Since the support bars extend into the aligned channels, the cabinets are located in back-toback relation and counterbalance one another, the cabinets being further located in cantilevered relation with respect to the display rack on which they are mounted. Additional securing means are utilized for fixing the cabinets to the frame of the display rack. If required, the present invention also contemplates the additional use of an end cabinet that is fixed to the end frame of the display rack by means of additional support bars that extend outwardly of an end of the display rack in a direction that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the display rack. The end cabinets are thus mounted in posi- Patented Nov. 7, 1967 tion on the display rack and define an extension of the opposed cabinets fixed thereto.

Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide a cabinet assembly for use with a display rack that is fabricated independently therefrom and that is mounted in component parts thereon.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cabinet assembly for use with a display rack that includes at least two cabinets that are mounted on the frame of the display rack in opposed relation, the rear ends of said cabinets being located in adjacent relation substantially along the longitudinal axis of the display rack.

Still another object is to provide a cabinet assembly for use with a display rack that includes opposed balanced cabinets and in addition includes end. cabinets that are fixed to the display rack on support bars and define extensions of the opposed cabinets.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings which illustrate the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the instant invention:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view with portions broken away showing the cabinet assembly of the present invention mounted on a display rack;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the location of an end cabinet as mounted on the display rack and the relation thereof with respect to the opposed cabinets secured to the display rack;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view with portions shown in elevation, illustrating the location of the support bars that are designed to support the cabinets on the display rack;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along lines 4-4 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along lines 55 in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along lines 66 in FIG. 3.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIG. 1, the display rack embodied herein is illustrated and is generally indicated at 10. The display rack 10 is designed to be shipped in a knocked-down condition and set up at the place of use. For this purpose the display rack is defined by a frame that includes end members generally indicated at 12, the end members 12 including spaced vertical posts 14 and vertically spaced horizontal cross members 16 that are interconnected to the vertical posts 14. Vertically spaced, horizontally extending stringers 18 are interconnected to the opposed cross bars 16 of the end frames 12 and have joined thereto a plurality of vertical members 20 that are normally tubular in construction. Panels 22 may be fixed between the tubular vertical. members 20 if it is so desired. As further shown in FIG. 1, end panels 24 may be secured to the end frames 12 and are provided primarily for ornamental purposes.

Although now shown, the tubular vertical members 20 may be formed with a plurality of vertically spaced slots along the length thereof that are designed to receive knife brackets that, in turn, carry shelving for the purpose of displaying clothing, if it is so desired.

In addition to the facilities for displaying garments and other articles on the display rack 10, as described hereinabove, a cabinet assembly generally indicated at 30 is also provided and is designed to be supported by the frame of the display rack 10. The cabinet assembly 30 basically includes opposed cabinets generally indicated at 32 and 34 and end cabinets generally indicated at 36 and 38. The pposed cabinets 32 and 34 are constructed substantially identical and therefore reference to the construction of one cabinet will apply equally to that of the other. Similarly the end cabinets 36 and 38 are identically constructed and reference will be made hereinafter to only the construction of end cabinet 36.

Each of the cabinets 32 and 34 is formed with spaced side walls or panels one of which is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3 at 40. A rear panel 42 is joined to the side panels 40 and a bottom panel 44 is fixed to the underside of the side and rear panels and defines the bottom of the cabinet. An intermediate panel 46 is fixed between the side panels 40 and defines compartments therewith that are adapted to receive sliding drawers indicated at 48 and 50. The drawers 48 and 50 are of conventional construction and may be mounted on the side panels 40 and intermediate panel 46 by the conventional roller slide and track con struction, if it is so desired. A top panel 52 overlies the side panels 40 and rear panel 42 and forms the top of the cabinet on which additional merchandise may be placed for the display thereof. It is understood that the drawers 48 and 50 are slidable within the compartments and are normally concealed therein.

As described hereinabove, the cabinets 32 and 34 are designed to be mounted on the frame of the display rack 10 in opposed and balanced relation. In order to accomplish this purpose, thet side panels 40 are formed with longitudinally extending grooves 54 or channels, the channels 54 in the opposed side panels 40 of each cabinet 32 and 34 being aligned with respect to each other. Located in the aligned channels 54 are elongated blades or support bars 56 that are designed to support the cabinets 32 and 34 in their opposed and balanced relation. Thus the support bars 56 project through the channel 54 of the side panel 40 of the cabinet 34. In order to restrict lateral or endwise movement of the support bars 56 within their respective channels 54, plates 58 are secured to the side panels 40 and overlie the support bars 56, the plates 58 being secured to the side panels 40 in any convenient manner, such as with bolts or screws. It is seen that the overlying plates 58 define pockets with respect to the longitudi nally extending channels 54, each of the pockets accommodating a support bar 56 therein. In mounting the opposed cabinets 32 and 34 in place, the support bars 56 may be secured in the pockets of one of the cabinets, projecting outwardly of the rear end thereof. The cabinets are then placed in position on the frame of the display rack, the exposed portions of the support bars 56 being inserted within the pockets of the other cabinet. With the support bars 56 nested within the pockets as defined in the side panels 40 of both cabinets 32 and 34, the cabinets are then secured to the frame of the display rack 10. Securement of the cabinets to the frame is accomplished by the use of fastening bolts 60, each of which as shown in FIG. extends through a plate 58, support bar 56 and into a tubular post 14 of the end frame 12 that is located adjacent to the support bar. The cabinets 32 and 34 are thus locked to the end frames 12 by the bolts 60, and since the cabinets are interconnected to each other through the support bars 56, they form an integrated unit with the frame of the display rack. As mounted, the cabinets 32 and 34 are located in cantilevered and balanced relation and cooperate with the frame of the display rack to define a unit that is not only functional in concept in providing additional space for display and storage but that further defines an uniquely ornamental construction.

As shown in the drawings, the end cabinets 36 and 38 are each provided with drawers that are movable in a direction similar to the direction of movement of the drawers 48 and 50. In order to provide for movement of the drawers in the cabinets 36 and 38 in this direction, the

cabinets 36 and 38 include side panels 62 and 64 to the underside of which bottom panels 66 are fixed. An intermediate panel 68 extends transversely of the side panels 62 and 64 and divides the cabinet into two compartments for receiving drawers indicated at 70 and 72. Top panels 74 overly the side panels 62 and 64 and the intermediate panel 68 and cooperate therewith and the bottom panels 66 to define the opposed compartments for receiving the drawers 70 and 72 therein. As shown in FIG. 1, notches 75 and 77 are formed in the top panels 74 and the side panels 40 and 64 and are provided for receiving the end panel 24 of the end frame 12 and for further receiving the vertical tubular posts 14 therein.

Although the drawers 48 and 50 are shown as being mounted for movement within the compartments of the cabinets 32 and 34, it is understood that sliding drawers may be suitably mounted on upper and lower tracks that would be fixed on the inside surfaces of the top and bottom panels 44 and 52. In this connection, the compartments would then define the storage space in the cabinets.

In order to mount the end panels 36 and 38 in position on the frame of the display rack, the intermediate panel 68 is formed with channels 76 on both sides thereof for receiving support members 78 therein that are similar in construction to the support bars 56. The support members 78 extend in a direction that is parallel to the axis of the display rack and project through appropriate openings formed in the side panels 40 and 64. A cover plate 80 is secured to the intermediate panel 68 and overlies the support members 78 for restricting lateral movement of these members within their respective slots 76. As seen in FIG. 3, the rear panel 42 that is interposed between the side panels 40 and that defines the end wall of the compartments in which the drawers 48 and 50 are received, is formed with opposed grooves 81. The support members 78 that extend through the side panels 40 and 64 are received within the grooves 81 and are enclosed by cover plates 82. The end cabinet 36 is thus fixed to the cabinets 32 and 34 and is suspended therefrom in cantilevered relation by the support members 78. In order to aid in the support of the end cabinets 36 and 38 on the frame of the display rack, bolts 83 extend through the side panels 40 and 64 and into the adjacent vertical post 14. Since the bolts 83 project into both of the vertical posts 14 of the end frames 12, the end cabinets 36 and 38 are both locked in position to the end frames 12 and are further supported on the frame of the display rack by the support members 78. It is understood that the drawers 70 and 72 may be slidably mounted within their respective compartments on tracks and roller slides in the Wellknown manner and are movable in a direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the display rack. The end cabinets 36 and 38 may also be provided with sliding doors that are mounted on upper and lower tracks that extend parallel to the axis of the rack assembly.

It is seen that the display rack 10 embodied herein in cludes opposed cabinets that are fixed to the frame of the display rack and that are interconnected to each other in such a manner so as to be supported in balanced and cantilevered relation. Each of the side panels of the cabinets is provided with an elongated channel for receiving an elongated support bar therein, the support bars extending in a direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the display rack. The cabinets are thus capable of being mounted on the display rack at the position of use without the requirement of special tooling or skills for the assembly thereof. The end cabinets 36, 38 for the rack are also simply and quickly mounted in position by securing the support members thereof to the rear panel of the cabinets 32 and 34 and then by bolting a side panlfl of each end cabinet to the end frame of the display rac While there is shown and described herein certain structure embodying the invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements to the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive concept, and that the same is not limited to the particular form herein shown and described, except insofar as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a display rack, a pair of end frames located in spaced apart relation, elongated frame members interconnected between said end frames for locating them in their spaced apart position, opposed cabinets mounted on said end frames and interconnected to each other so as to be supported in balanced relation, each of said cabinets including spaced side panels, an end panel and a top panel that define a compartment, the side panels of each cabinet having an elongated channel formed therein in which an elongated bar is received, said elongated bars extending into the channels of the cabinet side walls that are located in opposed relation, means for locating said bars in said channels, and means extending through the side panels of said cabinets and into said end frames for mounting said elongated bars and the cabinets in which they are located on said end frames.

2. In a display rack, a frame including spaced end members, means interconnecting said end members, at least two cabinets mounted on said frame in opposed relation, the rear ends of said cabinets being located in adjacent relation and substantially along the longitudinal axis of said frame, elongated bars fixed in said opposed cabinets at the sides thereof and interconnecting said cabinets in balanced relation, said elongated bars extending later-ally of said frame in perpendicular relation to the longitudinal axis thereof, means for securing said cab inets to said frame, drawers carried by said cabinets and being slidable therein in a direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said frame, said cabinets including side panels in which longitudinally extending channels are formed, said elongated bars being received in said channels, and means for locating said elongated bars in said channels, said securing means being locked to the side panels in which the elongated bars are located and to said frame for restricting lateral movement of said cabinets.

3. In a display rack, a frame including spaced end members, means interconnecting said end members, at least two cabinets mounted on said frame in opposed relation, the rear ends of said cabinets being located in adjacent relation and substantially along the longitudinal axis of said frame, elongated bars fixed in said opposed cabinets at the sides thereof and interconnecting said cabinets in balanced relation, said elongated bars extending laterally of said frame in perpendicular relation to the longitudinal axis thereof, means for securing said cabinets to said frame, drawers carried by said cabinets and being slidable therein in a direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said frame, additional elon gated bars joined to said cabinets and extending outwardly of at least one end thereof in a direction that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of said frame, an end cabinet mounted on said additional elongated bars in cantilevered relation, means for fixing said end cabinet to said frame, and opposed drawers mounted for slid-able movement in said end cabinet in a direction that is parallel to the movement of the drawers located in said first named cabinets.

4. In a display rack, a frame including spaced end members, means interconnecting said end members, at least two cabinets mounted on said frame in opposed relation, the rear ends of said cabinets being located in adjacent relation and substantially along the longitudinal axis of said frame, elongated bars fixed in said opposed cabinets at the sides thereof and interconnecting said cabinets in balanced relation, said elongated bars extending laterally of said frame in perpendicular relation to the longitudinal axis thereof, means for securing said cabinets to said frame, drawers carried by said cabinets and being slidable therein in a direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said frame, said securing means including bolts that project through side walls of said cabinets and that are received in said end members for fixedly mounting said cabinets on said frame in opposed and balanced relation.

5. In a display rack, a frame including spaced end members, means interconnecting said end members, at least two cabinets mounted on said frame in opposed and cantilevered relation, the rear ends of said cabinets being located in adjacent relation and substantially along the longitudinal axis of said frame, means for interconnecting said cabinets in the opposed. relation thereof, means for securing said cabinets to said frame for fixing said cabinets thereto, said cabinets including opposed compartments that provide for storage space in said display rack, said cabinets including side panels in which longitudinally extending channels are formed, a cover plate overlying each of said channels to define an open ended pocket, the pockets formed in one cabinet being located in aligned relation with the pockets of the other cabinet, said interconnecting means including elongated bars that are received in the aligned pockets for stabilizing said cabinets in the opposed and cantilevered relation thereof.

6. In a display rack, a frame including spaced end members, means interconnecting said end members, at least two cabinets mounted on said frame in opposed and cantilevered relation, the rear ends of said cabinets being located in adjacent relation and substantially along the longitudinal axis of said frame, means for interconnecting said cabinets in the opposed relation thereof, means for securing said cabinets to said frame for fixing said cabinets thereto, said cabinets including opposed compartments that provide for storage space in said display rack, at least one end cabinet mounted on said frame at an end thereof in cantilevered relation, said end cabinet including compartments that provide for storage space therein.

7. In a display rack as set forth in claim 6, elongated support bars joined to said first named cabinets and extending outwardly of at least one end thereof and in a direct-ion that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of said frame, said end cabinet being mounted on said support bars, and means engaging said frame for securing said end cabinet in position on said support bars.

8. In a display rack, a frame including spaced end members, means interconnecting said end members, at least two cabinets mounted on said frame in opposed and cantilevered relation, the rear ends of said cabinetsbeing located in adjacent relation and substantially along the longitudinal axis of said frame, means for interconmeeting said cabinets in the opposed relation thereof, means for securing said cabinets to said frame for fixing said cabinets thereto, said cabinets including opposed compartments that provide for storage space in said display rack, said interconnecting means including elongated bars that project inwardly of said cabinets and that extend in a direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said frame, said securing means including fastening elements that project through the side walls of said cabinets and into the end members of said frame.

9. In a display rack as set forth in claim 8, elongated support members fixed to said frame and extending outwardly of an end thereof in a direction that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of said frame, and an end cabinet mounted on said support members, means extending through said end cabinet and into said frame for securing said end cabinet to said frame, and opposed drawers mounted for slidable movement in said end cabinet in a direction that is perpendicular to the axis of said frame.

10. In a display rack, a frame including spaced-apart vertical end members, means interconnecting said end members, at least two cabinets mounted on said frame in opposed and balanced relation, the rear ends of said cabinets being located in adjacent relation and substantially along the longitudinally axis of said frame, at least two elongated bars extending inwardly of said cabinets at the sides thereof and interconnecting said cabinets in balanced relation, and means for securing said cabinets to said vertical end members for mounting said cabinets on said frame in the opposed, balanced relation thereof, said securing means including fastening means that project through the side walls of said cabinets and into said References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Burrows 312-287 X Polen 312255 X Butler 312-111 X Jentzen 312-409 X Levy et a1. 312-1401 Radek 312108 vertical end members for locking said cabinets to said 10 DAVID WILLIAMOWSKY, P rimal? Examine!- J. L. KOHNEN, Assistant Examiner.

end members. 

3. IN A DISPLAY RACK, A FRAME INCLUDING SPACED END MEMBERS, MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID END MEMBERS, AT LEAST TWO CABINETS MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME IN OPPOSED RELATION, THE REAR ENDS OF SAID CABINETS BEING LOCATED IN ADJACENT RELATION AND SUBSTANTIALLY ALONG THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID FRAME, ELONGATED BARS FIXED IN SAID OPPOSED CABINETS AT THE SIDES THEREOF AND INTERCONNECTING SAID CABINETS IN BALANCED RELATION, SAID ELONGATED BARS EXTENDING LATERALLY OF SAID FRAME IN PERPENDICULAR RELATION TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS THEREOF, MEANS FOR SECURING SAID CABINETS TO SAID FRAME, DRAWERS CARRIED BY SAID CABINETS AND BEING SLIDABLE THERIN IN A DIRECTION THAT IS PERPENDICULAR TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID FRAME, ADDITIONAL ELONGATED BARS JOINED TO SAID CABINETS AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY OF AT LEAST ONE END THEREOF IN A DIRECTION THAT IS PARALLEL TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID FRAME, AN END CABINET MOUNTED ON SAID ADDITIONAL ELONGATED BARS IN CANTILEVERED RELATION, MEANS FOR FIXING SAID END CABINET TO SAID FRAME, 